All Year Garden - the ebook

"Sitting at the table under the tree canopy, a book in
one hand, the other hand mindlessly rubbing your
temples, you lose track of time. The splotches of light
filtered through the branches above move slowly
opposite the sun path, while the day merges into
evening. The light becomes gentler, more tired, almost
horizontal. Around you two full walls, one half wall, a tree
for a roof, and a balcony: your private outdoors. Noises
come and go, the chirping of birds, the passing cars,
people chatting while walking their dogs, the
syncopated rhythm of joggers, the soft rubbery noise of
bicycle wheels... "
allyeargarden.com - Your Private Outdoors
all year
G A R D E N
book

C O N T E N T S
introduction
A garden for all seasons...............................................................................................................................Page 6
gardening advice
Garden Planning Principles..........................................................................................................................Page 8
Create a Child's Garden............................................................................................................................Page 11
Twenty Things not to Do when Growing a Garden................................................................................Page 13
Spring Garden Maintenance ....................................................................................................................Page 15
Summer Garden Pointers ...........................................................................................................................Page 16
Garden Care for the Fall ............................................................................................................................Page 17
Food and Water - How Much and When................................................................................................Page 18
Making Compost.........................................................................................................................................Page 20
Rain Harvesting ............................................................................................................................................Page 21
Growing your Stock.....................................................................................................................................Page 22
Packaging Seeds.........................................................................................................................................Page 26
caring for roses
Start Roses from Cuttings............................................................................................................................Page 29
Comments on Rose Propagation .............................................................................................................Page 31
Rose Pruning.................................................................................................................................................Page 33
grandma's pantry
Pickle Green Tomatoes...............................................................................................................................Page 36
Rose Petal Sherbet ......................................................................................................................................Page 38
Rose Hip Jelly................................................................................................................................................Page 40
Candied Lemon Peel..................................................................................................................................Page 42
Candied Sweet Violets ...............................................................................................................................Page 43
aromatherapy
Decorative Scented Candles....................................................................................................................Page 46
Scented Sachets..........................................................................................................................................Page 49
Apple Spice Potpourri.................................................................................................................................Page 51
Make Perfume..............................................................................................................................................Page 52
Make Infused Oil..........................................................................................................................................Page 54
Calendula Mint Salve..................................................................................................................................Page 55

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growing food
Tomatoes ......................................................................................................................................................Page 57
Bell Peppers ..................................................................................................................................................Page 58
Scarlet Runner Beans ..................................................................................................................................Page 59
common plants of the mid-west
Annuals..........................................................................................................................................................Page 61
Perennials......................................................................................................................................................Page 62
Roses..............................................................................................................................................................Page 65
Vegetables...................................................................................................................................................Page 66
Herbs..............................................................................................................................................................Page 67
Shrubs ............................................................................................................................................................Page 68

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I N T R O D U C T I O N
"The sleeping stillness of the garden imposes a weird reverence, one
almost feels like whispering for no reason. Snow keeps falling gently,
quieting my thoughts."
allyeargarden.com - The sleeping garden

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a garden for all seasons
If you are like me, come spring your garden starts breeding an abundant, energy intensive list of chores,
such as cleaning, weeding, annual planting, watering, feeding, cutting the grass, planting more grass,
steps one, two, three and four, mulching, deadheading, cleaning again, replanting, a lot more watering,
more deadheading, planting bulbs, digging out bulbs, fall cleaning and raking of leaves, pruning,
protecting tender perennials, and finally giving thanks for the arrival of winter you abandon all interest for
the outdoors till spring.
You put a lot of time and energy into maintaining your garden for three seasons and it is only fair that your
garden should reward you with the fruits of your labor. What if you plan for scent and beauty and your
garden fully delivers, and then on top of that it also gives back an abundance of food for your table,
provides for next year’s harvest, offers fragrant herbs and flowers for perfume, skin care, remedies for minor
health ailments, habitat for little critters, birds and butterflies that will enchant you with color and sound,
and colorful contrasting shapes and colors in the dead of winter.
Your garden can reward you with produce beyond expectation. It only takes a little planning and picking
the appropriate locations for planting. Remember, a plant will produce more blooms, fruit, and fragrance
in the tiniest spot where it receives what it needs (which is usually lots of sunlight, plenty of water and
reasonable fertilizing) than in a large spot where any of the above are lacking.
"...an old bleeding heart arches gracefully over
the moss roses. It only blooms one month a
year, which makes it even more fascinating, a
garden princess unlike any others,
extraordinary.[...] Many times I just sit on the
ground and watch the little candy colored
hearts sway gently in the wind atop a profusion
of giant parsley-like leaves. There is a
contradicting nature to this plant graced with
such noble and unworldly blossoms but
sustained by the most unsophisticated kitchen
herb-like bush."
allyeargarden.com - The Garden of
Remembrance

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G A R D E N I N G A D V I C E
"If gardening only taught me one thing it would be the art of
waiting. If you have enough patience and time, things kind of turn
out the way you planned, sort of, eventually."
allyeargarden.com - The art of waiting

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G E N E R A L A D V I C E
garden planning principles
Your garden is a living entity and as such, always changing. That is part of its charm and its gift to the
gardener. Try following these four concepts to make your garden planning experience more rewarding
than ever.
Work with your garden
1. Define lacking areas. What are their characteristics? Too shady? Too dry? Hard to reach for
regular maintenance? Soil deficiencies? Focus on improving them or adding plants that tolerate
those conditions.
2. How much time do you have to spend in your garden? Plan on installing systems that provide
continuous care with minimum of effort and cost (drip hose, xeriscaping, rain barrels, composting
areas, etc.)
3. Observe what perennials are thriving in your garden. That will tell you a lot about the soil and
draining conditions you have and offer potential for those plants to adjust very well in sparser
areas of your garden. Plan on dividing mature plants that are overgrown to fill in the less fortunate
spots.
4. Spend some time learning your sun paths. Find out when the sun reaches a certain area, not only
throughout the day, but all year long. The sun’s elevation changes and growing vegetation make
conditions in the same spot quite different between spring, summer and fall: you may be able to
grow columbines and roses in the same flower bed. Pay extra attention to places in the shade,
"I hurried out to the front yard this morning to
gather these few late bloomers before the rain
started. The roses are still blooming: there are
quite a few buds which may still open with a lot
of cooperation from the weather. It is cold,
though, really."
allyeargarden.com - Things to do when it rains

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they offer great potential for cool summer retreats. White flowers are particularly striking in the
shade.
5. Plan for naturally low-maintenance flower beds. A full flower bed won’t allow any space for
weeds. Ground covers and low growing companion plants will look beautiful and reduce the
need for mulching and watering. If the combinations are perennial, so much the better!
Define a recognizable style
1. Create and emphasize a theme for your garden. Focus all your future efforts into accenting that
theme. Start with the classics: formal, romantic, cottage, rose garden, herb garden, potager.
Figure out which one speaks to you and adapt the general structure to fit your conditions. Having
a theme gives you a canvas to build upon and a very good idea about the kind of plants you
could add.
2. Look at your garden from many angles and define visual lines, actual paths, points that focus your
interest, blocks of color, surprises.
3. Make sure to have areas that can be enjoyed both from a distance and close up.
Add structure
1. Essentials:
i. Hardscape – retaining walls, trellises, water basins, paving, arbors to grow climbers on,
permanent benches, sun shading.
ii. Color accents – planting, garden furniture, sculpture.
iii. Access – flagstone pathways, stepping stones, grass paths. You want to be able to walk
through your garden when it rains without getting covered in mud from head to toe.
2. Consider vertical planting and containers, especially if you don’t have a lot of land. Put extra
effort in the areas where you spend most of your time. Make sure to include fragrant plants.
3. Add habitat for wildlife: bird baths, squirrel feeders, brush for shelter, bat boxes. Plant butterfly and
hummingbird plants like dill, geranium and hibiscus.
4. Create private nooks for personal retreat: a little bench under a tree, sheltered from view by a
planting of yews or a trellis of climbing roses.
5. Make your borders reachable, no more than five feet wide, with access from both sides. Areas
that are difficult to reach will not be maintained or enjoyed.
6. If you have room, plant a cutting garden, if not sprinkle your flower beds with your cut flower
favorites.
7. Add water in any form.

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Your wish list
1. Make a wish list of plants you always wanted but never got. Sort through the reasons why and get
any plants on the list that you can.
2. Would you like to add specific plants: medicinal, edibles, or fruit trees?
3. If you want a gazebo, a pergola or an arbor, stop dreaming about it and finally get it. It seems
more complicated than it actually is.
4. Make your garden an inviting place. Add fruit and berries, plant butterfly and bee favorites, don’t
forget scented herbs, have places to sit with a book, an Ipad or a Kindle, design little ledges to lay
down a cup of coffee, etc.

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create a child's garden
There are few things that match the joy of watching children take charge of little projects, and gardening
projects are no exception. Set aside a little patch of dirt for your kids to plant seeds and watch things grow.
Make sure it is reasonably fertile and in full sun, you don’t want to make a starter project so challenging
that it generates disillusionment rather than the pride of accomplishment. Stick to annuals. Turn the dirt at a
spade’s depth early in the spring, to ensure that most of the seeds will germinate. Prepare little starter flats
for annuals, if you would like to start some of the plants indoors. Make sure the little gardeners have child
sized gardening utensils: a little watering can, a tiny hoe, gardening gloves, a little rake. For some projects,
if the dirt is of good quality, a plastic beach set with a bucket, a watering can, a little rake and a small
shovel or spade would suffice.
That being said, unless you are starting seeds indoors (see end of article), wait until the day of last frost has
passed. If you don’t know what that day is in your area, check out the US Climate Normals. Don’t plant
outdoors before that date. Frost may not occur as late as that date this year, but if it does, it will be a
disappointment for the little ones.
Make sure the ground is moist and finely minced before starting. Take some time with your child to lay out
on paper what will be planted where. Use strings or ribbons to separate the areas. Prepare waterproof
markers for the new plantings and mark the flowerbeds properly.
Read the instructions together for seed planting depth and spacing and help out with planting if needed.
After the seedlings emerge, teach the child to thin them out, so that the new plants have plenty of room to
develop. Make a habit of walking around the garden with your child and make daily observations about
"I stopped for a moment to take in the humid
scent of orchids, bromeliads and ferns and to
wonder at the unexpected vegetal
abundance. As I was fumbling with my cart,
trying to get it through the isles, I sensed a
familiar soft brush against my leg. There it was,
the greenhouse cat – an indoor cat that gets
to live in the garden all year long, how lucky is
that!"
allyeargarden.com - The cat in the greenhouse

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plant development, water needs or anything else that might apply. This will reap its own reward later,
especially if they are starting veggies, when it is produce picking time.
Here is a list of fail proof plants for a starter garden:
- Zinnias: they germinate reliably, grow very fast and have showy blooms. Since children like to pick flowers,
zinnias are a great choice. The more you pick, the more they bloom.
- Snapdragons: not very picky about care, as long as they have enough sunlight. They are a favorite play
thing.
- Marigolds, or if you want to make it even more interesting, pot marigolds. They are very pretty and easy to
grow.
- Sunflowers are always a child’s favorite, because they are so big and grow three times their height.
- Anything with large seeds will be easy to handle during planting, therefore generate a more reliable
outcome. Among these, nasturtiums, morning glory and four o’clocks will be great choices. Most of the
larger seeds that are somewhat woody need a 24 hour soaking in warm water to ensure faster
germination, but they will sprout anyway.
- Try vegetables that are easy to grow and the kids might enjoy, like cucumbers, squash and beans. Make
child sized bean tepees so they can reach all the way to the top. Leave an opening at one end, the little
shady shelter will be the ultimate Summer favorite. Consider adding furnishings, it will make a great
alternative for a tree house. Don’t worry about the beans, they’ll figure it out.
- Try adding something fragrant of flavorful, like sweet alyssum or basil.
- Create a marker to designate that the area is your child’s garden and let them choose what that might
be.
- Think about adding a bird bath.
If you want to start the seeds indoors, place the seed starters in a prominent location with plenty of sunlight
and a little watering can nearby. Remember, out of sight, out of mind. You would be surprised what four
days of neglect can do to small plants. Starting plants indoors is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate
the proper thinning of seedlings.
Depending how much you want to enforce teaching responsibility, you might need to give your child
reminders about gardening tasks that need done, but remember that this is supposed to be a fun
successful project, so if you need to accidentally water it yourself when it doesn’t look too hot, or pull out a
couple of weeds every now and then(trust me, that is a chore even grown-ups tend to put off), so be it.

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twenty things not to do when growing a
garden
Growing a thriving garden is as much a result of the things you do as it is of the things you don’t do. Here is
a list of what NOT to do in order to have a thriving garden. These are all things I learned from personal
experience, and they set me back a few years:
1. Planting roses in the shade.
2. Hard pruning roses that should not be pruned.
3. Forgetting that the dirt will be impoverished if the nutrients are not replenished with natural fertilizers.
Feed, rotate crops or both.
4. Digging holes too small for the root ball of the plant. It is an easy mistake to make if you have to dig
through rock hard clay in shallow flower beds. Make the extra effort, you will see a tremendous difference.
5. Not preparing the soil before planting seeds. Till, mince, feed, weed, water.
6. Not watering the soil enough for the seeds to germinate.
7. Putting off weeding will give you seven times more work than you should normally have.
8. Planting plants in the wrong places.
9. Not abiding by tried and true gardening methods (tomatoes need staking, grapevine needs pruning,
etc.)
10. Not watering enough during droughts. (if the plants look wilted, watering twice a day is not excessive).
"Did you know that lupines and beans are first
cousins? If you didn’t, the seed pods might
give you an inkling. As a part of the Fabaceae
family, the lupines grow their offspring in the
familiar seed pods, that are to beans what
mastodons are to elephants. Spiky, hairy and
archaic, the lupine beans look sort of familiar..."
allyeargarden.com - Lupine seeds

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11. Giving up on planting the right plant in the right location because of initial failure.
12. Confusing the different types of shade (dappled shade is different from dry shade and from north
foundation shade).
13. Not dividing perennials on time.
14. If you really want to grow edibles do not assume that the rabbits and squirrels will leave them alone for
your sake, protect them.
15. Planting invasive perennials.
16. Being afraid that moving a suffering plant will hurt it further. Trust me, if a plant is not doing well where it
is, move it. The benefits are visible within days!
17. Ignoring deadheading. Many plants, like basil and calendula will die after they went to seed. If you
would like to have them for the whole season, don’t let them go to seed.
18. Not labeling newly started seedlings. I can’t tell you how many perennials I pulled out with the weeds
when they were too small to recognize. Knowing exactly what they are supposed to look like before they
bloom doesn’t hurt either.
19. Over fertilizing.
20. Buying, buying, buying. It takes a little patience to wait on seedlings that you started yourself or divided
plants or cuttings to mature, but the benefits multiply ten times over because this is the gift that keeps on
giving. In addition to that, plants that thrive in an area of your garden have a better chance to thrive in
another area of your garden (same soil, similar conditions). Buy for diversity and interest, don’t buy as a
quick fix for barren areas. Plan what you want to plant in advance, don’t buy on impulse. Don’t buy plants
with lots of blooms, you want them to bloom in your garden, not the garden center. This one is hard to
resist, I know, I just thought I’d mention it.

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spring garden maintenance
Thank goodness for warm weather. The garden is thriving and there is so much work to do, of which I will
make a list:
- weeding ( this is task one, three, five…)
- any remaining spring clean up
- top dressing the flower and vegetable beds with a good organic mulch/fertilizer
- planting annual flower seeds (this extended stretch of rainy days will give them a better chance to sprout)
- moving and dividing fall blooming perennials before the weather is too hot
- deadheading spent flower heads of spring bulbs. Don’t forget that daffodils actually need to die back on
their own to make sure they get enough nourishment for next year’s bloom.
- tending to the grass maintenance schedule, weeds are just waiting for a skipped step
"It is uncanny how fast the plants grow after
you clear them of brush, sticks and debris.
Yesterday’s barren flowerbeds are today’s lush
garden in bloom."
allyeargarden.com - Spring

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summer garden pointers
The summer garden has a more tired look than the exuberant garden of spring. It needs a little more care
to look its best:
- make sure to water it often enough (if the plants look wilted or the dirt cracks, it has been too long)
- keep the plants deadheaded and remove the dead leaves from plants that go dormant after the spring
bloom
- keep the weeds in check, they will sprout out of nowhere and take over if you let them
- feed the plants for a second wave of bloom
- wait for fall to move perennials, especially the larger clumps, heat can be very stressful for a transplanted
plant.
"Every frustrated gardener, at least at one
point in his life, made negative comments
regarding his garden’s poor soil, inadequate
precipitation, amount of insolation, plant
material quality and other people’s better luck.
Sometimes they are right. The seasoned
veteran will preach that there is no garden that
can not be made beautiful with enough
patience, knowledge and correction of the
offending faults.
The truth is that sometimes it just works, for no
definable reason."
allyeargarden.com - Sun, Shade and the
Caprices of Weather

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garden care for the fall
At this time your garden is probably expressing the melancholy state of the growing season’s end, when
fruit is ripening, perennials go dormant, and the rich abundance of summer starts to fade. Fortunately there
are still plenty of faithful fall favorites to brighten up the day, such as mums and stone crops. In order to
keep a bright outlook on gardening, there will be much work to be done at the beginning of fall. Here’s the
list:
- clean, deadhead, weed (again!). Get rid of all the spent plants and anything that already turned brown.
- don’t forget to water, the garden is tired already, you don’t want it wasting
- gather seeds and fruit, there will be plenty of them
- don’t feed! the garden needs to ease its way into the winter dormancy
- plant cheerful fall annuals to keep the garden bright
- some of your favorite roses will start to bloom again, make sure they are healthy (we can make an
exception about feeding roses, they might not bloom again otherwise). Roses are such wonderful plants
that they will bloom through the first frost, long after other perennials have already gone dormant.
- if you don’t already have them, plan on getting some reliable late blooming perennials.
"I feel the inherent melancholy of this
harmonious symphony of colors: bright red
maple trees projecting on the cloudless blue.
There is the humid scent of fallen leaves in the
air, graceful leaves blown back and forth by
uncoordinated wind gusts, little rabbits and
squirrels instinctively hurried by the approach of
winter."
allyeargarden.com - Fall Equinox

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food and water - how much and when
Feeding: Some people like to compare the synthetic fertilizers with drugs. They have high potency and
feed only the plant, which becomes dependent, not the soil, which in time deteriorates and does not
replenish its resources to allow plants to thrive. If you have to use fertilizer, try an organic, slow release
product twice a year, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Don’t fertilize in the fall, except for newly
planted bulbs. Plants need to adjust to going dormant and eating less. Otherwise, the best option for
fertilizing would be your home made compost, which turns all your plant waste into a rich, nourishing
material resembling top soil. Quick tip: you can drop plant material in not so visible locations of your flower
beds and they will turn to compost without the pile and the smell, enriching the soil in place.
Do you want a great organic smell free fertilizer that will boost your vegetable production and encourage
profuse blooming for your roses? Sprinkle used coffee grounds on your flower beds. Coffee grounds are an
abundant source of nitrogen and are perfect for heavy feeders that don’t mind a slightly acidic soil
(among those you can count pretty much all vegetables, roses, rhododendrons, azaleas, etc.) Some
organic tomato growers swear by this fertilizer for of its capacity to boost production and eliminate late
blight.
If you can get a large quantity of coffee grounds they make a spectacular soft chocolate brown mulch.
Hostas and lilies will particularly benefit from slug and snail protection. Coffee is such an effective fertilizer
than 1″ of coffee mulch equals 1 foot of coarse straw. You can also work the coffee grounds into the
potting soil for thriving container plantings.
"All in all, please remember that a lush, thriving,
fertile and abundant garden is all-a-buzz. If
bees and butterflies come to your garden, pat
yourself on the back. You will see a bountiful
harvest in the fall."
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Be careful, it is an equal opportunity feeder, so your plants will benefit but the weeds will too. Plants also like
brewed coffee at room temperature, don’t forget to treat your house plants to a cup of Joe every now
and then.
Watering: Some say that watering is a luxury, not a necessity, and the plants, other than the ones in
containers, should be able to thrive on the rainwater available that year. I say if the dirt looks dry, water.
There is nothing that looks sadder and more neglected than a garden full of wilted plants.

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making compost
Any healthy, seed free, plant material can go in the compost pile. You can also include grass clippings, if
you don’t treat your lawn with herbicides. Adding vegetable scraps and eggshells will speed up the
process of turning compost into fertile garden soil material, and adding well rotted manure will too.
Layering plant material with a matter rich in nitrogen in 6″ layers will provide the optimal compost pile.
Unfortunately, the entire process doesn’t smell or look good, so you might consider a closed system with a
wheel so that you can turn the compost without stirring up the smell. These systems are designed to speed
up the process too, so you get compost sooner. Also, be courteous to your neighbors and place the system
in a remote enough location where it won’t bother anybody.
Coffee grounds and tea bags decompose very quickly in your compost pile and improve its nitrogen
content.
"Do you want a great organic smell free
fertilizer that will boost your vegetable
production and encourage profuse blooming
for your roses? Sprinkle used coffee grounds on
your flower beds. Coffee grounds are an
abundant source of nitrogen and are perfect
for heavy feeders that don't mind a slightly
acidic soil (among those you can count pretty
much all vegetables, roses, rhododendrons,
azaleas, etc.) Some organic tomato growers
swear by this fertilizer for of its capacity to
boost production and eliminate late blight."
allyeargarden.com - Cup of Joe for your
plants?

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rain harvesting
As a rule of thumb, you can collect around 600 gallons of water per 1000sf of roof, per 1″ of rainfall. Please
check out this link for the average rainfall in your area.
US Weather
Average temperatures and rainfall in US cities.
It is wonderful to go for the largest rain barrel size that would maximize the amount of rainwater collected,
however any size you can afford and accommodate is good. Also remember to get a rainwater collection
system that is closed, so that plant material and insects don’ t collect inside, and use the collected water
within a reasonable amount of time (as needed during the days following the rain), so that it doesn’t get a
chance to get stale.
"If you are ever at Epcot, don’t forget to visit
the wonderful exhibit “Living with the Land”, a
research lab where Disney and the
Department of Agriculture push horticulture to
the limit. For those who enjoyed the floating
islands of Pandora, you might want to take a
look at this: aeroponic growing systems. Water
and nutrients are sprayed directly on the roots,
no dirt required."
allyeargarden.com - The happiest place on
Earth

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P L A N T P R O P A G A T I O N
growing your stock
Plant propagation is a cost free or at least very inexpensive way to grow your plant stock. It only takes a
few tools that you probably already have: good pruning shears, a shovel, planting medium, rooting
hormone and a few pots.
There have been many books written about plant propagation that contain in depth and detailed
information on the subject. This article will briefly go over the basics.
Seeds
The most common method of plant propagation is seed collecting from plants you already have in the
garden. Some plants, like lettuce and celery will only germinate if exposed to sunlight; others, like phlox and
alliums, only if they are completely covered.
Most plants will benefit from being started indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost. There are a few
plants that either do not like being transplanted or are hardy enough to take a light frost. Those plants are
better off being planted directly outdoors. A few examples: peas, carrots, corn, beans, nasturtiums,
morning glory, cucumbers.
Most perennials will greatly benefit from being sown directly outdoors at the end of summer. That will give
the plants the chance to experience their natural cold cycle and make them emerge stronger and in their
own time in spring.
Hard seeds like nasturtiums, morning glory and four-o’clocks will germinate easier if soaked in warm water
for 12 hours prior to planting.
"Most of the plants these seeds come from
have been thriving in your area for decades,
even centuries. They are beautifully reminiscent
of grandparents’ gardens, very flavorful if they
are vegetables, not prone to disease and most
importantly, will come true from seed year after
year."
allyeargarden.com - Buy heirloom seeds

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When: Plant annuals in spring, perennials and biennials at the end of summer, when the heat died down a
bit.
Division
A prolific way to increase your garden stock is to divide mature plants. Most herbaceous perennials really
need dividing in order to keep blooming and healthy. Among those, a few examples: heuchera, daylilies,
pampas grasses.
Other plants, like daisies and bee balms will quickly spread if left to their own accord. Dividing them is a
good way to control their growth and fill up bare spots in your garden.
To divide the plant you can either dig it out completely and break the root ball into smaller parts or dig out
a part of the clump with a shovel. If you can do that, the advantage is that the remaining plant roots will
remain undisturbed.
When: Divide spring blooming plants in the fall and fall blooming plants in spring.
Rhizomatous plants
Among these: bearded irises, peonies, lily-of-the-valley, mint.
For small rhizomes, just pull out of the dirt and replant somewhere else. For larger rhizomes, dig the plant out
at the end of summer after it finished blooming and cut up the root in 2-4 inch sections with leaf growth at
one end.
When: End of summer or fall, after they have finished their vegetative cycle.
Layering
This works great with ground covers, strawberries, raspberries, and spider plant. Take a runner and tie it
down to the ground with a pin. After the plant develops roots you can cut it loose from the mother plant
and move it someplace else.
When: whenever they decide to grow runners.
Cuttings
Most woody plants can be propagated like that, especially roses, for whom this is the basic method of
propagation. Other plants to be propagated by cuttings: butterfly bush, weigela, pelargonium, fuchsia,
delphinium, forsythia, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas, African violets.
There are four basic types of cuttings: tip cuttings (soft, green), stem cuttings (woody), leaf cuttings (leaf
and petiole) and root cuttings.
For stem and tip cuttings, a minimum 3 inch length will ensure the viability of the plant. Wounding the
cutting (making a longitudinal cut or crushing the bottom) will stimulate the plant to grow new roots.

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Many plants, like mint, will grow roots if placed in water. Other plants, like African violets and hydrangeas,
will be happy to root if you stick a leaf with a long petiole in the dirt. For plants with large leaves, like
hydrangea, it helps to cut up about half of the leaf to lessen the strain on the developing root system to
feed it.
If you have rooting hormone, I strongly recommend it.
When: For fall blooming perennials and annuals, start cuttings when the danger of frost has passed in
spring. For spring blooming perennials, start the cuttings in the fall and protect them under cloches (a glass
jar would work just fine) over winter. It is very advantageous to the plant to go through a cold season in its
natural surroundings, it makes for a much healthier root system. This is especially true for roses.
Bulbs, corms and tubers
Some bulbs, like lilies, will start spreading out in a scaly pattern. Each scale with roots can be separated
and start a new plant.
Onions can be vertically chopped and divided. For hyacinths there is a method called scooping: cut up
the roots off a bulb and scoop out the central part right underneath them to expose the bulb layers. Place
the bulb upside down half buried in a tray full of wet sand. Place the tray in a dark warm location. In 12-14
weeks bulblets will start forming on the top of the large bulb. Plant the bulb upside down with the bulblets
right below the surface. Let the plant go through its vegetative cycle. The bulbs can be lifted and
separated in the fall.
When dividing tubers, make sure to have at least one viable “eye” on each section.
When: In the fall, after the plants went dormant.
Dropping and stooling
Dropping consists of pushing down and covering most of the plant stems with compost or good quality dirt,
and wait for the plant stems to develop individual roots. The plants can be separated and replanted. This
works for heathers and rhododendrons.
For the stooling method mound up dirt high around the bottom of the plant, to give the stems an
opportunity to grow roots. A few examples of plants for which this method works: lilacs, willows and
dogwoods.
When: Drop and stool in spring, divide and cut in the fall.
Please keep in mind that some plants will successfully propagate through several of these methods.
Here are some good resources for learning more about plant propagation:
American Horticultural Society Plant Propagation: The Fully Illustrated Plant-by-Plant Manual of Practical
Techniques – Alan Toogood

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Propagation Basics: Tools Techniques Timing – Steven Bradley
Secrets of Plant Propagation: Starting Your Own Flowers, Vegetables, Fruits, Berries, Shrubs, Trees, and
Houseplants – Lewis Hill

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P L A N T P R O P A G A T I O N
packaging seeds
Refine the task of collecting seeds, especially if you are planning on giving them away to friends and family
or participating in seed exchange programs. Making packaging an integral part of seed collection
encourages you to be more organized and makes it easier to find what you need in spring.
This is a nice task to give kids, since they are excited about creating little projects. Here are a few packets
that my daughter made for seeds harvested this year. The seeds are organized by annuals, biennials and
perennials and the packets are easy to open to add some more seeds as they become available.
Make sure to label the packets with the family, species and color of the plant, whether it is annual or
perennial, and what color it is, as well as the date the seeds were harvested. This may seem like overkill to
some, but everyone who harvested seed heads from purple and pink bee balms, for instance, knows that
there is no way to tell the color after the petals fell off. So if you are excited about planting white zinnias,
you will not get the “mixed color border of the wrong height” next year.
Besides the advantage of knowing what seeds you have and where they are, the packets make for a nice
conversation piece when you give them away, and the kids can turn the seed box into a mini science
project to show off at school.
As you get more packets and more plant seeds the information on the labels can be expanded to include
the botanical names (which give great insight into what plants are from the same family and therefore
have similar needs and qualities), spacing and care requirements, whether the plants like the sun or the
shade, and how they performed in your garden the previous years.
"The cat in the greenhouse [...] didn’t seem to
mind visitors and was very happy to welcome
me to its little potted paradise. Stepping stones,
trays of plants on concrete blocks, little plaster
statues and empty bird baths, colorful packets
of seeds, plant food and potted ficus plants,
African violets, cacti in bloom and a curious
friendly cat."
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Packets with detailed information are especially useful if you like crossing different cultivars to get new
plant varieties.

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C A R I N G F O R R O S E S
"Miniature roses project an aura of frailty, and one would be
tempted to shelter them in pots on a windowsill where they will be
protected from the elements. Don’t!"
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start roses from cuttings
Rose propagation is a really simple process, however the success rate is by no means 100%, so make sure
to take lots of cuttings from your favorite roses; you can always move your new plants in spring if the
location is not perfect. Also keep in mind that many nursery roses are patented and their asexual
reproduction even for personal use is illegal. Those roses usually come with tags asserting the patent. If you
are not sure, check your rose name online to see if it is listed as “under patent”. Patents usually expire after
20 years, so most of the old world roses are patent free. People swear by different methods of propagating
roses from cuttings: the little plastic baggies, the cut-up soda pop bottle, the misting. I tried all methods and
only found success with this one, so I’m going to recommend it. You might be wondering why the glass jar
will work and the plastic bottle won’t? The answer is “I don’t know”.
Cut a healthy stem, still green but stiff at a 45 degree angle. If the cut is far from the next growth bud, cut
the remainder of the stem back about a quarter inch above an outward facing bud. If you don’t the rose
will do the job for you and kill the useless stem, as you can see in this picture.
The stem you choose should have at least one branch with 5 leaflets, this detail is important. The stem
shouldn’t be longer than 6 inches. Remove any leaves and some people advise all thorns from the bottom
part that will be stuck in the ground. Make sure the stem is healthy and free of any pest or damage.
“Bruise” the end that will be in the ground; this will encourage the plant to produce more hormones for
rooting. You can bruise it by cutting it lengthwise or smashing it.
"Hansa is a cold weather rose, hardy to zone 3.
It tends to dislike hot weather and does better
in the northern regions, where it is extremely
disease resistant. It is not a patented rose and
you can get an entire flower bed worth of it
over one winter. I started a cutting last fall and
it rooted immediately. I couldn’t make an
accurate assessment on the success rate for
starting this rose from cuttings, but of all the
roses I tried this was the one that seemed to
root effortlessly."
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If you have rooting hormone, I strongly recommend it: you need to give the young plant all the help you
can. Dip the stem in rooting hormone. If you don’t, it will work without it too.
Stick the stem firmly in the ground, it should not be easy to pull out. If the soil is really dry, water it. There is
usually enough rain later in the fall to provide sufficient moisture for it. It is best to plant it during or after a
rainy, cloudy day, because these conditions put the least stress on the new plant.
Cover the plant with a glass jar. Push the jar into the ground so that it forms a tight seal at the bottom. The
jar must remain undisturbed from fall (this is the best time to take rose cuttings) until the next spring. Don’t lift
the jar to see how the rose is doing. Remove the jar in spring after all danger of frost is gone.
Different roses take different times to sprout roots, don’t be impatient. You can’t tell whether a rose took
just by looking at it. Some will stay green for the longest time and not take root, some will wither
immediately but turn into beautiful healthy little rose bushes in spring. The only sure sign that the stem has
roots is if you see new growth at the root level, but that is unlikely to happen during the cold season. Again I
have to emphasize the fact that the jar needs to stay undisturbed.

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comments on rose propagation
Here is one of the cuttings I planted last fall. It seems to have sprung pretty healthy roots. Notice the bottom
growth and the large bud at the top. Those are pretty sure signs that this rose actually has roots. I can’t tell
you how many times I watched green shoots like this stay green for months with no actual root
development happening.
Starting the roses directly outside offers many advantages:
1. They grow a healthier root system in their permanent location and they are not subjected to the stress of
relocation. If a rose found a specific soil favorable enough to sprout roots, it is much more likely that it will
thrive in that location when fully grown.
2. They will be less subject to wilt because they have adapted slowly to the weather changes.
3. They have full sun exposure, which will significantly benefit them throughout their development.
4. You don’t have a sea of potted sticks with plastic covers on every well lit window sill for the entire winter.
5. They don’t mold.
6. They experience the winter dormancy cycle, which is natural for roses and therefore beneficial.
That being said, a few more pointers about new roses.
"Tuscany is one of the oldest surviving Gallica,
with ancestry going back at least to the
sixteenth century. It only blooms once a year,
but it more than makes up for it by having the
most exquisitely beautiful burgundy-black
flowers with bright yellow middles. The softness
of its petals and their extraordinary color
earned it the nickname “Velvet Rose”.
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Don’t prune them the first year. Some people advise removing all the blooms to allow the plant to develop
a strong branch, leaf and root structure and not expand energy for flowers. I never had the heart to do it,
but I can believe this is good advice.
Give them some extra care the first year, make sure they have enough sunlight and water to stay healthy.
Generally speaking own-root roses tend to be healthier and stronger than the grafted ones, but take a little
longer to develop. Make sure that they don’t have fast growing annuals towering over them and taking up
all the resources. Once they are two or three years old they are tall enough and this ceases to be a
problem.
Stop worrying about how hard it is to grow roses, because it is not true. Roses are shrubs and require very
little care once established. Of course, some varieties are sturdier than others.

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rose pruning
Pruning is a simple and necessary part of keeping a rose healthy, strong and blooming. If you prune the
rose wrong, you may not get a lot of flowers the following year, or none at all, but there is no wrong way to
prune that will kill an established rose.
If anything, if you can live with a couple of years of no flowers, the rose will get a lot of rest and renewed
energy for new growth.
Why prune roses
There are four reasons to prune roses: remove old and diseased canes to make room for more
growth, allow air movement, shape the bushes to your liking and encourage blooming.
What roses to prune
1. Do not prune shrub, species and old garden roses (the once a year blooming roses) in spring! Some
examples would be Albas, Damasks, Moss Roses and Gallicas. These roses generally have a tall growth
habit and bloom on old wood. If you prune them in spring, you will cut out all the new year’s flower growth.
Prune after blooming to remove diseased canes, make sure there is enough air movement to keep the
rose bushes healthy and promote new growth. Allow the tall Albas and Centifolias to reach their full height
and prune only laterally. Wait for two years before starting pruning, because flowers appear on second
year wood.
"I walk tentatively on the foot wide dirt path
between the flower beds, careful not to get
scratched by the landscaping roses covered in
clusters of red flowers with yellow centers. To
the left, flanking the wire fence, cosmos and
goldenrod find their way between the roses in
an unruly jumbled mix."
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2. For modern roses such as Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, Grandifloras, and Hybrid Perpetuals prune with
confidence up to 2/3 of the plant growth. They will grow back stronger for it. Remove canes that are larger
than 1/2 inch in diameter and everything in the middle of the bush, to allow plant to develop and prevent
overcrowding. Remove any canes that have winter damage. Leave three or four well spaced young
canes per bush, making sure that growth is outward facing (see section about pruning cuts).
3. Cut back Bourbons by 1/3 of growth, after a couple of years. Remove lateral shoots.
4. Do not prune young roses and newly planted roses at all. They need all the growth they have.
5. For Miniature roses and Polyanthas, clean out dead and diseased canes and then cut them back to the
height you want.
6. For landscaping roses, you can take the hedge shaper and cut across to the height you want.
7. Climbers and Ramblers, regardless of the fact that they are single or repeat bloomers should be pruned
during the dormant season. Do not prune at all during the first two or three years, just remove the dead
canes. After that prune back only old canes enough to remove clutter and promote new growth.
Ramblers bloom on second year wood, so prune cautiously.
How to prune roses
The general rule of thumb for pruning cuts is a 45 degree cut that is made 1/4 inch above an outward
facing bud, with the cut facing towards the inside of the bush. Remove all crossing, diseased or winter
damaged canes. Remove old woody canes and canes larger than 1/2 inch in diameter.
When to prune
Prune old roses after they finished blooming to allow new growth before the cold season.
Prune perpetual blooming roses at the end of winter, beginning of spring, when new buds start developing.
Pruning too early encourages roses to generate new shoots that get damaged by frosts, pruning too late
makes the plant expend a lot of energy on growth that will be removed anyway. A good rule for the
Midwest is to prune roses when the forsythia blooms.
Last, but not least, always use sharp clean pruning shears. I recommend disinfecting them with alcohol to
prevent the spread of disease to the roses while pruning.

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G R A N D M A ' S P A N T R Y
"If you never made fruit preserves before, the heavenly
fragrance that envelops your home while the fruit and sugar
meld their flavors alone is worth the effort. So, put away the
fragrant candles and start the pot boiling. You will have a
wonderful aroma in your home, a great sweet treat to enjoy,
brag about and offer as a gift, and have the satisfaction of
creating a product from your garden produce."
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pickle green tomatoes
If you live somewhere between zone 4 and zone 6, September would be the time you walk around your
garden and acknowledge the fact that the bounty of green tomatoes still hanging from the vines will
probably not have time to ripen before the first frost. Grab a bag and gather them all, they make
wonderful pickles for the winter months.
Here is a quick recipe for pickled green tomatoes, the time it takes to prepare it is roughly how long it takes
for the water to boil.
Pickled Green Tomatoes
You will need clean glass containers (you can be creative about what constitutes a proper pickle jar,
please see picture). The only comment is to use sturdier containers because you will have to pour hot liquid
in them.
However many green tomatoes, bell peppers and hot peppers you found in the garden: arrange artfully to
fill the jars.
Carrots for decorating – slice lengthwise into 1/4″ thick slices and cut them into interesting shapes.
Drop in the jars bay leaves, mixed peppercorns, mustard seed, dried dill, and garlic cloves. If you happen
to have a sour cherry tree in your yard (which would be great because they are self pollinating and bear
lots of fruit), cut a few tiny branches with leaves and use them to keep the tomatoes from popping up (sour
cherry tree leaves prevent pickles from becoming mushy).
"Local craft stores have an infinite supply of
raffia, bows, colorful printed wax paper, old
fashioned little jars and labels, so you can
package this little product beautifully to
decorate the open shelves of your kitchen or
offer as a gift. If you want to go old school,
don’t put lids on the jars: cut a little cardboard
circle to fit the top of the jar perfectly and
cover with wax paper or colorful plastic
wrapping; tie with raffia or brown string. Make
sure to tie it very tightly around the jar neck."
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In a large pot bring two gallons of water, one pound of salt, and a pint of vinegar to a boil. Wrap the pickle
jar in a thick wet towel and place it on top of two or three flatware handles. (the wet towel and the metal
will help conduct the heat of the boiling liquid so that the glass doesn’t break). Pour the hot water, salt and
vinegar mix over the pickles until they are fully covered. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean towel and
cover with card stock rounds and cellophane. Keep in a warm place until the liquid turns clear (the
fermenting process should take 4 to 6 weeks), and then store in a cool location to keep over winter.
If you are interested in home food preservation, please take a look at this website:
National Center for Home Food Preservation
Besides information about how to pickle, dry, can or cure basically anything, you will find out the basics of
food preserving, the how and why, and a lot of other interesting and useful advice.

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rose petal sherbet
Here is an old world recipe for Rose Petal Sherbet. This delicacy is highly praised by people who dwell
around the Mediterranean, since it is a traditional middle-eastern treat that shares its popularity with the
Turkish delights and the almond halva. A spoonful of sherbet in a glass of ice water is the way to serve it to
guests, especially in summer, when it provides well needed refreshment. If you want to make it special,
make sure that the presentation (a silver spoon and a crystal glass) matches the sophistication of the
confection, but it would work without it too, because it is delicious. All rose preserves, including this sherbet,
should be made of very fragrant Centifolia roses such as this one or Gertrude Jekyll.
Rose Petal Sherbet:
1/2 lb of rose petals
2/3 gallon of water
2 lbs of sugar
the juice of one lemon
Put the rose petals in a salad spinner and spin them a few times to remove the pollen that might be
attached to them. Boil them with the water until the mixture reduces to about a half. Set aside and let it
cool down. Strain through a thick clean cheese cloth or a coffee filter.
"As you probably know, roses are cousins with
apples, plums and raspberries, and definitely
edible."
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Simmer three cups of this clarified liquid with the sugar on low heat until it all the sugar melts and then turn
up the heat. Try the sherbet periodically to see if it achieved the needed consistency. The way to do this is
to drop a few droplets in a glass of cold water; if they don’t lose their shape and can be picked up with
your fingers the sherbet has boiled enough. Remove the pot from the heat when trying the sherbet. As with
any sugar confections, the mixture can very quickly thicken beyond the required consistency and become
tough and unmanageable. While it’s still boiling, set aside two teaspoons of syrup and mix them with the
lemon juice.
Set the pot aside, cover it with a wet cheesecloth and let it cool down just enough that it can be handled.
Hold the pot down on a towel so that it doesn’t move and start stirring very quickly with a wooden spoon
until it changes its color and starts looking like pink meringue. When it starts changing color add the lemon
juice and syrup mix little by little and knead with your hands until it becomes a fondant paste of uniform
consistency. The lemon juice should enhance the color to a beautiful rose pink. Put the sherbet inside clean
dry glass jars and press down to eliminate air bubbles.

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rose hip jelly
As you probably know, roses are cousins with apples, plums and raspberries, and definitely edible. The rose
hips are a rich source of vitamin C and have a pleasant tart tangy flavor, reminiscent of cranberries. They
can not be eaten raw, because the rose seeds are imbedded in a thick mat of itchy fiberglass like
filaments, but the fruit can be boiled and strained and used in syrups, jellies and teas. The strained fruit pulp
and juice mixed with honey makes for a delicious breakfast treat.
The coloring of rose hip jam (bright jewel red or orange) and its tartness makes it a prime ingredient for
dessert baking. It is particularly decorative in pastries with many thin layers or as a healthy and natural
coloring for frosting. Here is the recipe:
Rose Hip Jam
- 1 lb of prepared rose hips
- 1 cup of water
- 3 1/2 cups of sugar
Prepare the rose hips by cutting them across and scooping out the seeds and filaments. Wash them well
and set them to simmer with one cup of water for at least 20 minutes, until they are very soft. Press the
mixture through a very thick sieve and/or a cheesecloth.
"Rugosa Roses – bloom abundantly in the
spring, with some repeat through the summer
and produce bright red and orange hips that
last through winter. In the fall the foliage of
some of these roses turns vibrant orange-
brown."
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Add about 3 1/2 cups of sugar to 1 lb of rose hip pulp and simmer as you would any jam to obtain the
proper consistency ( the jam needs to thicken until a droplet dropped on a cold plate keeps its shape).
Let it cool down, pour into sterilized jars and enjoy.

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candied lemon peel
A recipe for wonderfully fragrant and very festive looking candied lemon peel. Great for decorating, if
there is any of it left by the end of the day.
Disclaimer – if it looks like candy and tastes like candy it’s because it has the same amount of sugar and
calories as candy. That being said…
Candied Lemon Peel:
- 4 lemons with thick skin
- 2 cups of sugar
Wash the lemons thoroughly and peel them with a sharp paring knife or a vegetable peeler. Slice the peels
into 1/4 inch slices or leave them in their natural shapes. If you like fancier forms, roll the 1/4″ peels into little
pinwheels and secure them with toothpicks before cooking.
Add the lemon peels and enough cold water to cover them to a pot and bring to a boil. Strain and repeat
the process. Strain again and add back to the pot with the sugar and 4 cups of water. The peels should
boil in the syrup until they are tender and translucent, about 30 minutes.
Strain the candied peels, toss them with granulated sugar until completely coated and spread on
aluminum foil for 3 hours to cool and dry. Store in airtight containers. It will last in the refrigerator for up to
four weeks.
"Families have old traditions. Families make
new traditions. This is a new tradition for our
family, instituted by my daughter. Every
Christmas we need to have a gingerbread
house next to the Christmas tree, whether
we’re home or not."
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candied sweet violets
So delicate and old fashioned, sweet violets used to yield our grandmothers or great-grandmothers’
favorite perfume at the beginning of the twentieth century. The tiny flowers nosegays and corsages fell out
of favor partly because they seemed matronly to younger generations and partly because the plants are
not very easy to grow commercially. They weave their runners in rich moist humus under trees or through
partly shady lawns, with their sweetheart shaped bright green leaves, delicate as dreams. Try to gather a
bouquet and they will wilt pitifully, always thirsty and vulnerable. Even though the classic violet fragrance is
out of this world, many varieties are not scented, which can be a surprise and slight disappointment for
people who anticipate it.
As with many other edible plants, the boundaries between the medicinal and gastronomical uses of violets
were often blurred. Apothecaries who made them into perfume used to sell the candied flowers as food
supplements. The violet syrup is supposed to smooth a singing voice.
Many medicinal qualities have been attributed to violets: sedative, fever reducer, expectorant, tumor
shrinking, tonic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, cough suppressant, and snake bite antidote. Goat milk mixed
with pressed violet flowers was considered a beauty potion for any lady who would wash her face with it.
The French in Toulouse still sell the candied violets today, as part of the tradition of that region. Pastry chefs
build entire desserts to display this rare sugar confection.
If you are lucky to have scented sweet violets in your garden, you can make your own candied flowers, as
a culinary curiosity if nothing else. Here is how:
"A good perfume generally has a dominant
note or a theme. It can be one specific
fragrance such as rose, lily of the valley or
linden flower, or a more general theme such as
herbal, or citrus. A perfume will benefit from
unexpected mixtures of fragrances that give it
character and contrast each other."
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Crystallized sweet violets
Ingredients:
- violet flowers, unblemished and with the stems still attached
- 1/2 cup of water
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 tbsp of rose water
- sprinkling sugar
Boil the water, sugar and rose water until the sugar completely dissolves. Pick the flowers by the end of the
stem with a pair of tweezers and quickly dip them into the syrup. Lay them out on wax paper and sprinkle
with sugar. Allow them to dry.
This unexpected sugary treat will certainly create a focal point on your artful dessert. Alternately, violets will
display just fine in a simple vase.

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A R O M A T H E R A P Y
"Aromatherapy has been practiced for hundreds of years,
without the benefit of the fancy name. Generation after
generation of homemakers prided themselves in creating
the most fragrant and visually appealing decor to beautify
their homes and provide relief for minor ailments, from
headache and anxiety to insomnia and soothing cranky
babies."
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decorative scented candles
If you dried herbs and flowers last summer, here is a good way to use them: just in time for Valentine’s Day,
decorative heart shaped floating candles. This project is presented as a Valentine’s Day idea, but you can
make decorative candles any time. Experiment with different colors, fragrances and shapes.
You will need:
1 large 100% bees wax candle
rose petals, dried flowers, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, lemon and orange peel, dried apple slices or
cranberries, vanilla beans or anything else you might have around the house that seems like a good idea.
Get creative on how to mix them.
2 heart shaped disposable aluminum foil tins
oil to grease the tins
fragrance (rose oil, lemon extract, lavender oil, etc.)
Cut the candle into 1 inch segments and melt the wax in a small pan on the stove, making sure it doesn’t
burn. After the wax has melted, remove the 1″ wick segments to reuse for your candles.
Mix in a few cloves or cinnamon stick shards and set aside, allowing the wax to cool down a little, but not
solidify.
"Today was one of those dreary days when
light is served at fifty percent intensity. At noon
it looked like dusk, at five it was already night.
Brr! There is nothing better on a day like this,
when every gardener deplores the dried up,
scrunched up state of the almost dormant
garden, than making all things beautiful and
fragrant. "
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Grease the tins and place on the bottom and sides any of the elements above that you would like to use.
Try not to get anything too close to the wicks, you want the wicks to burn, not the decorations. Dip the end
of two or three wicks in the hot wax and stick them to the bottom of the tins. They may need a little
adjusting after you pour the wax over.
After the mixture in the pan cooled down significantly, add your fragrance. Mix well and pour in the tins,
over the decorative pieces.
Adjust the wicks and let the candles solidify. When they are cold, remove the aluminum foil. Enjoy!

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scented sachets
Aromatherapy has been practiced for hundreds of years, without the use of the fancy name. Generation
after of homemakers prided themselves in creating the most fragrant and visually appealing decor to
beautify their homes and provide relief for minor ailments, from headache and anxiety to insomnia and
soothing cranky babies.
I will present just a few wonderful herbal home recipes. They are very easy to make and use things you
probably already have around the house (ok, maybe not the orris root – the mix will do just fine without it,
but the fragrance will not last as long). Treat yourself to these very affordable indulgences, after all, it’s the
little things…
May they bring you comfort and relaxation, restful sleep and relief from bad dreams, worrisome thoughts
and evil memories.
The herbal pillow (or dream pillow, as some call it)
In olden times, entire mattresses were made from aromatic herbs to induce peaceful sleep and keep
away bugs and critters. The herbal pillows also served a medicinal purpose: they doubled as an air
freshener and mild antiseptic to provide relief to people recovering from long illnesses. Nowadays the
much reduced version of the herbal pillow is small enough to slip in the back of your pillow case (typically
around 5″x8″ in size). It is usually made from cotton or muslin fabric and it should be smooth and flat.
Besides the fabric you will need:
"Surreal orange-violet sunsets and a gentle
warm breeze under cotton candy skies.
Colorful rainbows and mellow hazy air
enveloping you with the softness of a whisper.
The calendar says mid-November and the
thermometer says 71 degrees. You bask in the
warm mellow breeze slightly confused after the
freezing night and look around at the turning
leaves, most of which the trees already shed.
It’s Indian Summer."
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- aromatic herbs of your choice (rose petals, lavender, hops, and chamomile are usually soothing and
soporific)
- a few drops of essential oil to enhance the fragrances
- a fixative (usually orris root, it keeps the fragrance longer)
- filler (buckwheat, hops or plain cotton)
The proportion of filler to herbs is 2/1. Mix everything together well in a bowl, not forgetting to add a few
drops of essential oil. Fill the pillowcase and sow the fourth seam. If you would like to know what is in my
bowl – mint, basil, calendula, chamomile, goji berries and mint oil.
Place the dream pillow in a plastic baggie for 24 hours to give the scents some time to blend together.
Enjoy.
If you replace the muslin with terry cloth (any colorful towel will do) and the filler with sponge, the mix
makes for a wonderful bath pillow.
Place the herb mix and rolled oats in a cheesecloth baggie and drop it in the bathtub for an delightful
bath tea. (Aromatic oils are a plus!)
The dried herb fragrant sachet
Featured above, it can be hung in your closet, slipped between linen sheets or placed in the drier (which
fills the whole house with delightful aroma on laundry day).
What to mix is up to your preferences and available items, but classic sachets generally include rose, violet,
verbena, jasmine, lavender and mint.
For a spicy twist try dried citrus peel, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and cloves. The little baggie above is
filled with apple cinnamon potpourri: dried apple, pear and strawberry slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves,
vanilla, and dried crab apples. It’s a very welcoming scent for the upcoming holidays.
The eye pillow
Pretty much the same as the dream pillow, only smaller and using oats, hops or buckwheat as a filler. The
weight of the pillow, combined with the aromatic oil, usually lavender, provides relief from insomnia and
headaches.
For the little ones
A tiny sachet filled with lavender, chamomile and dill somewhere in proximity of the baby’s crib will help
the little one fall asleep easier. The name “dill” is derived from a word that actually means “to lull to sleep”.
The clove apple

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Choose a hard fragrant red winter apple; starting at the blossom end, stick cloves in it until the whole
surface is covered, with the exception of the equator, where the ribbon will go. Roll it in a mixture of half
orris root, half cinnamon, with a pinch of clove. Wrap it in tissue paper and set it in a warm place to dry for
10 days. After ten days it should have shrunk and dried. Tie the ribbon around it and place it in your kitchen,
bathroom or closet, or offer as a gift.
And last but not least, don’t forget that any mixture that contains cedar chips or lavender will repel moths
and keep your favorite cashmere sweaters free of holes.

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apple spice potpourri
Ingredients:
- hard fragrant apples, pears and strawberries, sliced paper thin
- cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, vanilla beans
- a cup of crab apples
- dried mint and basil
- infused mint oil
Dip the apple, pear and strawberry slices in a bowl of salted lemon water for 15 minutes, so that they do
not oxidize and fall apart when dried. After 15 minutes, strain them, pat them dry and place them on a
cookie sheet in the oven at 150-170 degrees, until the peel starts curling up and the consistency is dry and
leathery. Keep the oven door slightly ajar to ensure good air circulation.
I kept the crab apples in the oven the same time until they shrunk and became hard and completely dry.
Mix the fruit with crushed cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, cut up vanilla beans, and dry herbs. Ad a few
drops of infused oil, to keep the aroma longer.
Place in a bowl and rustle occasionally to release the scent.
"Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere, and hay
bundles and little scarecrows! In the soft
darkness of “Beggar’s Night” little candles glow
inside Jack O’Lanterns held by little hands. The
tiny princesses and ghouls and cartoon
characters and vampires and stuffed fluffy
animals and witches and pirates move noisily
from one brightly lit house to another, filling
little colorful buckets with more candy than
anybody, especially someone that little, should
really eat. Group by group giggles and grins
watching a fire here, an open door there, a
group of neighbors enjoying an ad-hoc picnic
on the front lawn, faces smiling and mouths
chattering."
allyeargarden.com - Fall bounty

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make perfume
Perfume is made by blending your choice of essential aromatic oils in proportion of 1 to 3 % with a good
quality base oil such as grape seed or sweet almond oil. Please make sure not to exceed the
recommended dosage of essential oil, since it can be irritant to the skin in higher concentrations.
Every good quality perfume must contain these three basic components:
- the base notes: rich, lingering scents that will last on the skin after the other two components have faded.
They are usually given by jasmine, myrrh, or patchouli.
-the middle notes: the perfume’s main fragrance. This will be the fragrance of your choice, and will
determine the character of your perfume, light floral, fresh, herbal, or incense.
-the top note: the first burst of fragrance that hits your nostrils when you first come in contact with the
perfume. It generates the immediate quality of the perfume and it is usually a fresh, sparlky fragrance, like
eucalyptus, lemon or basil.
There are six basic groups of fragrances: woody (cedar wood and pine), herbaceous (rosemary and sage),
citrus (bergamot and lemon), floral (geranium and rose), resinous(frankincense), and spicy (cinnamon,
ginger).
Some fragrances have mutually enhancing qualities. Generally speaking, fragrances from the same plant
family blend together well. Some oils, like rose, jasmine, or lavender, will enhance any other fragrances.
"There are always a few plants in your garden
that you would be really sad not to see again.
One of mine is “David” – a white garden phlox
whose scent is out of this world. It stands alone,
tall above a field of dark green mint, in a
shaded area of the garden: the shadows
frame its perfectly white blooms providing
striking contrast. It doesn’t bloom a lot,
because it is mostly in the shade, but when it
does it has the most intoxicating perfume,
something between linden tree flowers and
lilies."
allyeargarden.com - Fragrance

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A good perfume generally has a dominant note or a theme. It can be one specific fragrance such as rose,
lily of the valley or linden flower, or a more general theme such as herbal, or citrus. A perfume will benefit
from unexpected mixtures of fragrances that give it character and contrast each other.
Here are some compatible fragrance blends to try (please don’t forget 1 to 3 % essential oil only for all the
fragrances combined). You may of course experiment with any fragrances that appeal to you:
Set 1:
lemon, rose, chamomile, orange blossom
Set 2:
cypress, cedar wood, sage
Set 3:
gardenia, jasmine, tuberose
Set 4:
peppermint, lavender, lemon
Set 5:
nutmeg, orange, geranium
Set 6:
clove, rose, vanilla, bergamot
Happy perfuming!

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make infused oil
This is a simple way to make infused oils. As a variation on this process, you can add a whole dried stem of
basil or thyme, together with other seasonings, like sea salt and crushed pepper flakes, to a bottle of olive
oil to get an aromatic mix that will look great on an open shelf and taste even better on your salad. You
can even take this a step further and seal the bottle with colorful wax for a fancier look.
Infused oils can be used in salves, creams, and other topical products. In this case I used mint, but other
medicinal dried herbs can be used ( a few examples – calendula, saint john’s wort, basil, thyme, etc.).
Make sure that all containers you use are clean and completely dry.
Pick off only the leaves from the dried up mint stems. Crush them into a powder. Pour the content into a
clean, dry jar. Add a good quality oil (I prefer the ones without a strong flavor). After 10 minutes check the
jar and add more oil if needed to cover the plant material. Cover with a coffee filter or clean cheese cloth
and leave in a sunny window for at least 10 days. Strain through a filter or cheesecloth. Enjoy! Use in home
made remedies.
"The easiest way to dry herbs is to tie them up in
bunches and hang them in a hot dry place
with good air circulation, like a well vented
attic. When they are dry, crush them into a
powder and store them in paper bags,
properly labeled. Flowers like goldenrod,
calendula and chamomile should be dried on
a paper towel placed on top of a grille or rack,
so that there is good air circulation
underneath."
allyeargarden.com - Dry herbs

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calendula mint salve
INGREDIENTS: (1) cup of infused oil, (1) ounce of beeswax.
To prepare infused oil see the previous recipe.
To prepare the salve, warm but don’t boil the infused oil. Separately melt the wax and pour it into the
warmed oil. Pour a drop of the mixture onto a plate and put it in the freezer until it cools completely. After it
cooled, try it on your hands for consistency. If it is too thin, add more wax. If it is too thick, add more oil. Pour
the warm liquid in small tins or glass jars and allow it to cool down completely before covering. Keep it in
the refrigerator for up to a year.
"If you are looking for a good carrier oil for
massage or a way to care for sensitive, irritated
skin, calendula oil is a perfect choice. It
doesn’t have much aroma in itself, so it can be
mixed with other infused or essential oil for
fragrance. Due to its high carotenoid and
flavonoid content calendula is highly effective
for cellular repair; the oil seals and hydrates
sores and hard to heal wounds, and its
regenerative properties have been
documented in multiple studies."
allyeargarden.com - Use calendula oil

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G R O W I N G F O O D
"The whole plant group becomes a system in
equilibrium, self sustaining almost (and in some cases it
really is). This is the image one sees in established
gardens, a conglomerate of such systems, in perfect
harmony with each other, looking like they have been
there forever."
allyeargarden.com - Sun, shade and the caprices of
weather

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V E G E T A B L E S
tomatoes
Tomatoes are by far the most cultivated edible and they are fruit, not vegetables. There are two ways to
categorize tomatoes. First, they can be determinate (shorter, stockier types that don’t need staking, take a
shorter time to bear fruit and produce all the yield more or less at the same time; they are good for tomato
sauce and canning), and indeterminate (take about 80 days to produce fruit, they are tall and need to be
staked, and produce small yields all summer long. They are sweeter and more flavorful and are great
eaten raw). The second way to categorize tomatoes is open pollinated( will produce identical offspring
with the parents) and hybrid varieties (the flowers do not consistently produce offspring that maintains the
parent qualities).
Without further ado, here are some popular, high yield varieties of tomatoes:
Beefsteak (shown here) – Indeterminate, hybrid. The largest tomatoes, some weigh up to a pound. Perfect
slicing tomatoes for sandwiches. Very productive.
Gardener’s delight – Indeterminate, open pollinated cherry tomatoes. Small but very sweet fruits. Children
love them. Very productive.
Better Boy – Indeterminate, hybrid. Large, very high yield tasty slicing tomatoes.
Brandywine – Indeterminate, open pollinated. Meaty sandwich tomato, tasty and productive.
Early Girl – Indeterminate, hybrid. Very sweet, prone to cracking in the rain.
"In nature, the tomato will eventually fall to the
ground and for lack of a better word, rot. While
it is turning into mush on the ground, the pulp
and juices will ferment and break down the gel
around the seeds, allowing them to germinate.
Since we normally pick the tomatoes off the
vine before this happens, we need to mimic
the process to obtain the fertile seeds ready for
germination."
allyeargarden.com - Save tomato seeds

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V E G E T A B L E S
bell peppers
Peppers, like all vegetables, like a warm, sunny spot (at least 8 hours of full sun exposure) with good loamy
soil and plenty of water. These plants were started indoors in February and transplanted to the garden after
April 21, the date of last frost in zone 5. Bell Pepper plants will produce about a dozen fruits on a plant
during the growing season. As you probably know, green peppers are just red or yellow peppers that are
not yet ripened. So, if you want colorful veggies to grace your dinner table, just wait a little longer.
Bell Peppers, especially the red, yellow and orange ones, are high in fiber and excellent sources of vitamins
A and C. Eat them raw during the growing season and can some for the winter.
" Looking at the flower and vegetable beds I
can see that the bunny has been doing a very
thorough job of digging up and consuming all
things bulb and root that it was able to find,
with special emphasis on the fragrant lilies. The
kids watch it with wonder while I’m mentally
reviewing all the ways to prepare rabbit stew.
Half the garden gone, half more to go, the
bunny moved methodically to the next plant.
My brain simmering with aggravation, I get out
to chase it away despite protests. It looks at
me, outraged, and reluctantly departs. I feel
guilty.."
allyeargarden.com - Were you gonna eat
that?

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V E G E T A B L E S
scarlet runner beans
Scarlet Runner Beans are not legumes, they are a piece of history. The red and white variety “Painted
Lady” was grown in the kitchen gardens as early as 1750. In the beginning people cultivated them for their
highly decorative flowers and seed pods, and only later figured out they were good to eat. The flowers are
beautiful enough to compete with the sweet peas. They are not fragrant, but they are gorgeous vibrant
shades of red, white and purple. The seed pods turn an intense coppery purple in the fall, and inside you
will find beans that range from monochrome to calico combinations of purple, red and white.
The plants don’t like the heat and will put off yielding seeds till later in the season, when the weather turns
cooler. For some varieties the bean pods grow up to a foot long. The beautiful flowers attract humming
birds.
"I’m sure you’ve all been telling your children to
eat their vegetables, but in case they insist on
ice cream being yummier maybe they can be
encouraged to photograph them. Whether it
ends up in the pot or on the wall (and chances
are that it will do both), your colorful produce
can inspire quite interesting imagery."
allyeargarden.com - Vegetable art

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C O M M O N P L A N T S
O F T H E M I D - W E S T
"You plant things together and they support and shade each
other, they exchange vital nutrients and they layer their
leaves to shade their intertwined roots and protect the water
in the soil. They naturally keep the weeds away, because
under their dense leaf umbrella, not even weeds have a
chance to develop. A hierarchy develops with time and each
plant gets just the right amount of sunlight and water."
allyeargarden.com - Sun, shade and the caprices of weather

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A N N U A L S
Stock Four o'clock Calendula French mallow
Johnny jump-up Snapdragons Marigolds

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P E R E N N I A L S
Bleeding heart Peony Clematis Columbine
Crane's bill Carnation Fuchsia Gardenia
Hellebore Penstemon Candytuft Wine cups

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P E R E N N I A L S
Siberian wallflower Vinca Violet Fringed bleeding heart
Aster Bee balm Lupine Baby's breath
Coneflower Daisy Garden Phlox Dead nettle

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P E R E N N I A L S
Perennial mum Pampas grass Sedum Hepatica

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B U L B S
Lily Iris False hyacinth Daffodil
Grape hyacinth Lily of the valley Hyacinth Tulip
Daylily Hosta Giant Allium

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R O S E S
Gourmet Popcorn Bishop's Castle Irresistible Morden Blush
Peace Cherries 'n cream Hansa Roseraie de l'Hay rose de
perfume
Roseraie de l'Hay Angel WIngs

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E D I B L E S
Scarlet runner bean Black raspberry Bell pepper Tomato
Strawberry

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H E R B S
Basil Lovage Dill Mint
Oregano

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S H R U B S
Japanese quince Lilac Honey suckle Butterfly bush

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